Grain-scourer



(No Model.)

W. AGER.

GRAIN SOOURER.

No. 405,937. Patented June 25, 1889.

N. PETERS. Pham-mho n her. Wuhinglon, D. c.

UNITED STATES ATENT @FFICE.

IVILSON AGER, OF BLOOMSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAIN-SCOURER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,937, dated June 25,1889.

Application filed January 5,1889- Serial No. 295,529. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILSON AGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bloomsburg, in the county of Columbia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines forScouring and Decorticating Cereals, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to machines for scouring and decorticatin gcereals, and the purpose thereof is to. provide simple means wherebyface and provided with blast-openings in the cylindrical wall, said drumhaving air-forcing devices at one or both ends, whereby air is drawninto the interior revolving cylinder and forced thence through itsblast-openings and through the gauze coverings in the outer drum. Thisis substantially the organization of the decortieating-mill patented tome March 18, 1884, No. 205,171. \Vhile this decorticator gives excellentresults, experience has demonstrated that when running at high 7 speedand with a full load the abrading-sur face of the outer cylinder isliable to heat under the friction produced, the air-current induced bythe internal]y-directed blast being insufficient to reduce thistemperature to a proper degree under the conditions named. I have found,however, that by introducing air from the exterior of the outer cylinderand forcing it between said cylinder and the revolving drum in adirection opposite, or substantially so, to the direction of revolution,whence it escapes through the gauzecovered openings in the drum, I amable not only reduce the temperature to a low point, but to materiallyincrease the internal induced current and more effectually expel thedust, while the mill may also be run at a very high speed and with afull load without overheating.

My invention consists in the several novel features of construction andnew combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and thendefinitely pointed out in the claims which follow this specification.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of adecorticator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section ofFig. 1 on the line a: .70. Fig. 3 is a detail section of the exteriorcylinder, showing the connection of one of the external blast devices.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 indicates any suitablesupporting-frame by which the operative parts are supported, said framehaving upper and lower cross beams or braces 2 and 3, upon the latter ofwhich is stepped a vertical shaft 4, the bearing being protected by ahood 5. The upper end of the shaft is supported in a suitable bearing inthe cross-beam 2, which is braced by a tic-beam 6, or in any suitablemanner. A band-pulley 7 is mounted 011 the shaft 4 between thecross-beams 2 and U and a similar support above.

Upon the shaft 4 is keyed or otherwise mounted a cylinder 8, which ingeneral outline is preferably a frustum of a cone. This cylinder isprovided with heads 9,having circular flanges 10, to which is bolted thebody of the cylinder composed of any suitable material and provided withopenings 12, which are partly covered by interior flaps 13, mounted onone edge of said openings and so placed as to leave longitudinalapertures between the free edges of the flaps and the other edges ofsaid openings, said apertures being upon the side toward which thecylinder revolves. The outer face of the cylinder is covered, with theexception of the openings 12, with short closely-set bristles 14, forwhich tampico or any equivalent material may be substituted. In eachcylinderhead are formed openings 15, over which are inclined plates 16,their free ends pointing in the direction of rotation. These openingsare placed as nearly as possible to the periphery of the drum, in orderthat the rotation of the latter may impart the greatest possiblespeed,whereby the air is driven or drawn into theinterior of saidcylinder at one or both ends.

Surrounding the cylinder 8 and concentric therewith is a drum 17, havingits wall parallel to that of the cylinder and separated therefrom by ashort space. This outer drum is supported upon the frame above and belowand is composed of any suitable material provided upon its interior facewith an imperforate abrading surface formed of emery, Derbyshire stone,or other similar material. In the wall of this drum are formed two,three, or more openings 18, running vertically and covered by wire-gauzeof suitable fineness, these openings extending preferably to a point'not far from the lower end of the dru1n,which is provided with acone-shaped receptacle 19, emptying into a chute 20, through which thegrain, after being decorticated and scoured,is conducted to suitablereceptacles below.

The decorticator is supplied by means of a hopper-trough 21, throughwhich the cereal is fed from a reservoir above, from which it passesinto the decorticator at the upper end of the drum and cylinder, as seenin Fig. l. The operation of the mill may be regulated by simplyadjusting the inner cylinder 8 vertically by means of the set-screw 22.As the grain passes between the revolving cylinder and outer drum, filerapid rotation of the latter draws a strong current of air into itsinterior, whence it is expelled through the openings 12 in saidcylinder, and thence through the gauze-covered openings in the drum,driving off thedust, but allowing the scoured grain to descend into thechute below.

Entering the outer drum at one, two, three, or more points arefan-shaped oonveyers 23,

the longitudinal openings whereof extend vertically through the wall ofthe drum at suitable intervals. These con veyers are preferably arrangedto deliver their blast in a direction nearly or quite tangent to theinner or revolving cylinder, though this feature is capable ofconsiderable variation. The direction of the air-blast delivered therebyis also contrary to the direction of rotation of said cylinder, wherebythe force of the internally-induced current is increased, while thesurface of the drum is cooled and retained at a low temperature and thedust and similar foreign matter expelled through the screened openingswith great force and rapidity. I have shown in the drawings two of theseconveyers only; but I wish it to be understood that I may employ anydesired number, the usual construction being from two to six, accordingto the size and capacity of the mill. I may also introduce the auxiliaryblast from the side through the edges of the screened openings orthrough openings in the solid wall of the drum between these apertures.The form of the conveyors is alsosusceptible of considerable variation,as I by no means confine myself to a fan-shaped device, but may use anyduct, or even a series of ducts, by which air may be introduced from theoutside. I may also use the outside air-blast alone in place of theinternally-induced current produced by the rotation of the cylinder 8.

hat I claim is 1. In a decorticating apparatus, the combination, with anouter drum and an inner revolving cylinder, both provided with suitableabrading-surfaces, of air-blast conductors entering the wall of theouterdrum for delivering air-currents in a direction opposite to therevolution of the inner cylinder, substantially at a tangent to saidcylinder, substantially as described.

2. In a decorticating apparatus, the combination, with an outer drum andan inner revolving cylinder, both provided with abrading-surfaces, ofmeans for inducing an aircurrent within the cylinder, which is providedwith openings in its cylindrical wall, and airblast conductors enteringthe wall of the outer drum in a direction substantially tangential tothe cylinder and opposite to the direction of its revolution,substantially as described.

3. In a grain-decorticating apparatus, the. combination, with an outerdrum having an inner imperforate abrading-surface provided at intervalswith foraminous openings, of an inner revolving cylinder havingblast-openings in its walls, and provided with means for inducing anair-current within the cylinder, and air-blast conductors passingthrough the outer drum for delivering air-blasts in a directionsubstantially tangential to the cylinder and opposite to its directionof revolution, substantially as described.

4:. In a grain-decorticating apparatus, the combination, with an outerdrum having an inner abrading-surface provided with foraminous openingsat intervals, of an inner revolving cylinder having blast-openings inits wall and provided at its ends with hooded IIO air-forcing openings,and air-blast conductors entering the outer drum in a direction contraryto the direction of revolution of the inner cylinder, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses. WILSON AGER. WVi tn esses:

J AMES L. NORRIS, J AMES A. RUTHERFORD.

